Preparation of new fertilizer.



"TE STAES PREPARATION OF NEW FERTILIZER.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GUIno BORGHESANI and GIUsEPPn STAMPA, subjects of the King of Italy, and both'residing at Rome, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Preparation of a New Fer- I tilizer, of which the following is a specifi-- cation.

The aim of this invention is to prepare a new fertilizer with a basic reaction and containing phosphoric'anhydrid and potash, al-

most entirely soluble, at ordinary temperature in citric acid (an aqueous solution of 2% of citric acid).

The method consists in reducing to fragments or powder (a) Rocks and minerals containing potassium silicate (for example leucite).

(b) Rocks and minerals containing calciun)1 phosphates (for example phosphorites (0) Sodium bisulfate (niter-cake) residue of the manufacture of nitric acid from sodium nitrate.

(d) Ashes of pyrites and in placing in a suitable furnace (for example an electric furnace) with a temperature sufficiently high to reduce to a flux a mixture of the said substances, in which the sodium bisulfite and the ashes of pyrites (which constitute the reagent for dissolving the potassium and phosphorus) represent only a relatively small percentage (for example in all) of the total mass subject to reaction.

. The sodium bisulfate may be entirely or partly substituted by other salts, having however, the quality of developin either strong mineral acids; or elements w ich are very active when subjected to a high tem perature.

Experience has shown that a similar result may be obtained, that is, the solubility of potassium and phosphorus, by. moistening uniformly the mixture of phosphoric and potassic minerals with a relatively small proportion of mineral acids, and by putting this mixture, so moistened, first into a closed vessel with a temperature of about 600 C. and afterward into a reacting furnace sub- Specification of Letters Patent.

. is rendered soluble.

Patented July 9, 1918.

, Application filed April 7, 1917. Serial N0. 160,559.

jected to. a temperature sufiiciently high to bring it to a fluid state.

By operating with .a closed vessel, and better still by means of pressure and humidity, before transferring the mixture to the reacting furnace (electric), positive results of solubility are also obtained by heating in the presence of carbonic acid, chlorin and fluorin.

Thus the addition of pyritic ashes is not always necessary, and these ashes may be substituted for example by slags containing manganese (residue of the manufacture of manganese steel).

It has been found, in fact, that even the most simple mixture of phosphoric and potassic minerals (especially if the potassic mineral leucite of the volcanic beds of the Latium or of the Campania be used), without any of the above-mentioned additions, produces a flux in which the greater part of the potassium (and even of the phosphorus), To obtain this result it will sufiice that the separation of the leucite from the gangue which naturally accompanies it, be not brought to the extreme degree of perfection, for it seems that the small percentage of gangue which is found with the leucite, acts as a catalyzer. tain phosphorites, on account perhaps of the high percentage of iron contained in them, lend themselves easily to the manufacture of the new fertilizer, without the addition of substances which cause the above-mentioned action of solubility.

The heating of the reacting mass in the furnace is brought to a temperature of about 12001400 C. and the substance is kept at this temperature till a flux is formed.

The flux thus obtained (and it is the formation of an even flux which determines the temperature that is most convenient to the reaction), is then removed from the furnace and left to cool in the air. It may also befcooled rapidly by sprinkling with water in suflicient quantity for its own evaporation, so as to procure a substance absolutely dry. Afterward it is submitted to mechanical molding.

The powder thus formed by the molding Cer- I constitutes a basic phosphoro-potassic manure soluble in citric acid of 2%.

What We claim is In the preparation of fertilizer, a process which consists in mixing phosphoric mineral, potassic mineral and sodium bisulfate, subjecting the mixture to a temperature suflicient to fuse the mass, coolingthe fused material, and reducing the same to the form of powder containing phosphoric acid and potash soluble in 2% citric acid.

In Witness whereof We have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two Witnesses.

DR.'GUIDO BORGHESANI. DR. GIUSEPPE STAMPA. Witnesses to Borghesani:

SOYELIM OUSTY; GIOVANNI BORTOLUZZI. Witnesses to Stampa: GIUSEBPE ACTUS; STEFANO TIRAO. 

